Latch.



A. F. WiN TERS. LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

ALEXANDER F. WINTERS, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed January 9, 1918. Serial No. 210,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER F. WIN- runs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a latch construc tion particularly applicable to ,doors of refrigerators, though it is not limited in any respect to one type of door but may be used with various others. In openin and closing refrigerator doors it is desirable that the same may be opened with a minimum of effort and held in place automatically as the door is moved to closed position. My invention has for its primary object and purpose the effective attainment of these ends. It is a further object and purpose of the invention to so construct the latch and the striker used in conjunction therewith, that in the closing of the door the strain on the hinges shall be reduced as much as possible,-automatic latch mechanisms heretofore made in most instances being very hard upon the door hinges, as the latch device engages with the keeper, and a spring, which is, ordinarily, an element of latch mechanisms of this character, is progressively compressed and its increasing force transmitted to said hinges. In my invention the spring, while it is compressed with the closing of the door, does not have its full force transmitted to the hinges, but by reason of the construction, a progressively decreasing component of the increasing spring force only is transmitted to the hlnges. Various other objects and purposes of the invention consist in the provision of a very simple, durable, and economically constructed latch, the parts thereof being simple in form and ent1rely of metal.

For an understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of the latch and keeper applied to a door and cas1ng therefor, the door being in closed positlon.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the position of the parts as the door approaches closed position, and

Fig. 4 is a fra mentary view of the latch from the rear side thereof.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the latch.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several views of the drawing.

The keeper is permanently attached to the door casing or jam 1 and comprises a base 2 from which an arm 3 projects outwardly, terminating in an upwardly turned part 4 which at its upper end is formed at an incline as indicated at 5. The keeper is attached to the casin by screws or other suitable fastenings. 'lhe door 6 has the latch attached thereto. In the construction of the latch a base 7 and housing 8 are integrally formed, the housing being, preferably, curved in outline and extending outwardly from the base and formed with a Slot 9 in the outer central portion thereof. The base is secured by screws or other suitable fastenings to the door adjacent one edge and a lug 10 is cast integral with the housing and extends inwardly along the edge of the door, as shown.

The handle 11 at its-upper end is provided with an inwardly extending arm 12 which at its inner end is pivotally connected at 13 to the lug 10. The handle also has an inwardly extending arm 14 at its upper end which passes through the slot 9 in the housing, between which arm and the housing a coiled spring 15 under compression is located, the tendency of which is to turn the handle about its pivot 13 to inner position as shown in.Fig. 1.

A lug 16 formed with an under upwardly and inwardly inclined lower face 17 projects laterally from the upper end of the handle. This lug is adapted to pass over'the upper inclined end 5 of the striker as -the door is closed. the lug passing behind the part 4 of the striker as the door reaches its closed position, spring 15 holding it in closed position so that it is impossible to open the door by any pressure on the inner side thereof, such as may occur from ice within the refrigerator falling against the door.

In the operation of opening the door, all that it necessary is to grasp the handle and pull outwardly on the same until lug 16 is raised above the part 4 of the striker. The

movement of the handle and opening ofthe door is accomplished substantially at the same time, and with a single operation of the handle. In closing the door the inclined face 17 strikes against the incline 5 of the striker and it will be noted that with the changing position of the handle 11, the inclined-face 1 7 progressively approaches the horizontal asthe spring 15 is compressed. This is an important feature of my invention as the component of the force of the sp'ring'which is transmitted to the hinges 1S lessened. by reason of the changing position of the face 17. Accordingly, in the closing of the door it is not necessary to give the door as hard an impulse toward shutting as would be required if the increased force ofthe spring due to its compression was transmitted directly to the door and its hinges; and the strain on the hinges is very much decreased so that the same are not injured; Furthermore the simplicity of action in opening is a feature of merit in the present invention, the door being opened with a single movement of the handle and without the necessity of using more than one hand. The latch is made of very easily fabricated parts and can be produced at a low cost of manufacture.

I claim:

1. In a latch, a housing adapted to be connected to a door adjacent a vertical edge thereof, a lug on the housing extending therefrom inwardly alongside said edge of the door, a handle located over the housing at its upper end, an arm extending inwardly from the upper end of the handle and pivotally connected at its inner end to the lug on thehousing, a second arm extending from the upper end of the handle into the housing, a springdisposed between the second arm and upper end of the housing, and alug extending laterally from the upper end of the handle and adapted to extend over the edge of the door, said lug having an upwardly and inwardly inclined under face, substantially as described.

2. In a latch, a supporting member adapted to be attached to a door, a handle-located over said member at its upperend, an arm extending inwardly from the upper end of the handle and pivotally connected to said member at its inner end, means engaging with the handle to yieldingly force the same in a downward direction about its pivotal connection to said member and a lug projecting laterally from adjacent the upper end of the handle and provided iwith an upwardly and inwardly inclined under face, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a door, a casing therefor, a keeper connected to the casing including an outwardly extending arm terminating at its outer end in an upwardly turned portion, a latch attached to the door adjacent its free vertical edge, and including a pivotally mounted handle, a lug extending laterally from the handle near its upper end and at a point a distance out from the pivotal mount of the handle, said lug having an upwardly and inwardly inclined under 4. In combination, a'door andcasing there for, a keeper attached to the casing and includi'ng'an upwardly turned book, a handle pivotally mounted on' the" door, a lug ex tending laterally'from the handle a distance out'fromth'e point ofpivotal connection of the handle," said lug riding overthe hooked keeper as the door is-closing, and a spr'ing acting on the handle to normal-1y force" the lug downwardly into the 'hooked keeper when the door is closed;

5. In combination, a housing'havinga-lugv atone side projecting inwardly'beyond' the inner edges of the housing, an arm pivotally connected at one endto said lug, said'arm extending outwardly beyond the'hous'ing,'a handle depending from the outer end of the arm, means extending from the handle into thehousingandoperated upon by a spring within the housingto turn-the handle downwardly about said pivotal connection of the arm, and a lug formed with a lower inclined face extending lZLtGI'flIIYII'OHl the housing from adjacent the upper end of the handle.

6. In a latch, a supporting member adapt ed to be connected adjacent the free ver'tical edge of a hinged door, a lug "extending inwardly at said edge of the door from'the supporting member, an outwardly extend ing arm pivotally connected at'its inner end to the lug, a handle depending'from the outer end of the arm, a lug extending laterally from adjacent the upper end of the handle and away from the edge of the door, said lug having an upwardly and inwardly inclined under face, andspring means tending to hold the handle in inner position but yielding on application of force to the handle applied to move-it outwardly, substantially as described.

7. In combination witha'door and a; door casing, therefor, a housing connected at a vertical edge of the door, said housingflon its outer side having an inwardly extending lug passing, alongside said vertical edge of the door, a depending handle associated with the housing, its upper end being located directly over the housing, two inwardly. extending arms on the handle, one of which passes through and into the housing, and the second ofwhichpasses alongside the housing, having pivotal connection at its inner end to said lug on the housing, a keeper on the casing, said keeper terminating at its outer end in an upturned portion, a lug extending from adjacent the outer portion of said second arm across the meeting edges of the door and casing, said lug being formed with an upwardly and inwardly inclined under face adapted to ride over the upturned outer portion of the keeper and drop behind the same when the door is closed, the inclined under surface of the lug approaching a horizontal plane as the closing of the door progresses, and a spring in the housing engaging with the first arm on the handle to normally turn the handle downwardly and inwardly about its point of pivotal connection to the inwardly extending lug on the housing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature.

ALEXANDER F. WINT RS.

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Washington, D. G." 

